Self-portrait (ZBOR MZ)

It was May 27th, 2025, and school was supposed to finish at 19:30 CET. However, I finished early, at 17:25 CET instead. We were supposed to have 2 rhetoric classes and 1 class of economics, but since I was graded, I was allowed to leave. Another reason we left was because our rhetoric teacher had a meeting, so our classes were dismissed, and only those who weren't graded had to attend economics.

Since I left early, and realized that I've missed the bus. I decided to wait for the one which departs at 17:42 CET. Soon, the bus reached my stop at 17:50 CET, where it remained for 5 minutes for the drivers to switch buses. The bus finally departed at 17:55 CET from the center. I remembered something from Instagram, which was about the blockages in Novi Sad at 30 intersections for 45 minutes.

I looked through the window and saw that some intersections were blocked in the distance, and I was thinking I won't make it home. At first, it was all clear, but after we crossed the bridge, the bus came to a complete stop. That was when I realized that the road was blocked, because people demand local elections.

At first, we expected that we'll remain in the bus for the entire blockade, but then, the bus driver opened the doors and let us out. At that point, I decided to stay for a while and join the blockade. While some people blew whistles, others chanted. The goal was to make a lot of noise. They are also part of the student protests caused by the Novi Sad railway station canopy collapse, which killed 16 people.

At one point, a car driver tried to move, but he was stopped by the police. He was thinking it will last for only 15 minutes, but it lasted for 45 minutes instead. Few moments later, a photographer, approached me and asked me if she can take a photo of me. I accepted it and she took a photo of me. That's how I got this photo.